Hello Again
by Raelin Lupin
Summary: The story of Dark Arts Professor Alice Carroll, and how she hurt herself tripping over true love.


Hello Again

Chapter One: A Distinct Lack of Eyebrows

Rating: It's like PG-13 for now but it will become very rated R, just saying.

Warnings: Bad language, bad shoes, severe ditz alert and clumsiness.

A/N: Hi. Firstly I'd like to say sorry. I've all but abandoned Just Pretending. It is very likely that I will not be updating for a long time. My inspiration is dead. So, to my three wonderful fans, I am sorry. I hope you'll like this one, at least.

Warning, this is an OC fic. Alice is not at all a Mary-Sue (at least, I don't think so) but I'm just letting you know.

Again, if you know me at all then you know there will be smut in here. This is a short story, fifteen chapters at the most (it depends on how inspired I am). The lemon will be graphic, and it will be towards the middle. I don't really know yet; I haven't written it.

On with the show! Leave reviews, will you?

I can do a lot of things.

I can make a cappuccino, I can apply mascara with my mouth closed, and I can perform excellent cheering charms.

What I can't do well, however, is Apparate. And that's why I'm late to my new job, flattening down my fringe to cover my distinct lack of eyebrows.

I panted as I ran up the stairs. Ooh, this was bad. If I remembered Professor McGonagall- and I should; she put me in detention so many times- then she would definitely not understand why my forehead was noticeably bare.

Shoot.

Why did I wear these shoes?

I reached the great wooden doors, pulled at my skirt, tugged at my fringe again, gave up, and knocked.

Ow. Maybe I shouldn't have knocked so hard. I cursed, blowing on my sore knuckles.

One of the doors opened a crack.

"Who's there?"

"Oh, hello," I said, peering inside, "I'm here for the job! Um. Don't worry; I'm a witch and everything! Dumbledore sent for me!"

The darkened face went out of sight for a moment, and then the doors were thrown wide open. I, of course, fell backwards and landed on my bum. Shoot.

Professor McGonagall stood there, a little bit older then how I remembered her, but still unmistakable. Relief flooded through me.

"Hi, Professor!"

"Good morning," she replied crisply. "Miss Alice-" She paused, staring down at me, sprawled as I was on the landing. "Er…do you need help?"

"Oh. Oh! No, I'm fine." I scrambled to my feet, brushing myself off. " I just fell."

"Yes, I can see that."

Professor McGonagall put a bony hand on my shoulder and gave me a rare smile. "You look well, my dear," she almost whispered. Then her eyes looked away from mine, and up to my forehead.

"You don't have any eyebrows," she barked. I winced.

"Um, yeah," I said, about that…"

She sighed. "Never mind. Come. I'll show you to your office."

We walked down long hallways and up twisted stairs. I gasped and stared, playing the tourist as my memory supplied the details. I had spent so many happy years here. There, that classroom was where Sirius and I had plotted some of our best pranks (primarily the ones played on Snape). Oh, out of that window was the grassy place where Lily had first agreed to go out with James. Precious tidbits of time.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall stopped, and I ran into her.

"Sorry, Professor."

"Never mind that, girl, look where you are."

I blinked. We were in the old Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom! I'd forgotten that this was where I was going to teach.

"I love this room," I told her, grinning. She rolled her eyes.

"Your office is up here."

As I followed her up the set of stairs in the back of the class, I felt a strange sense of foreboding. It was the old 'This is a teacher's office and I'm not supposed to be in it' impulse that always struck me when I snuck up here to nick stuff or plant pranks. It gave one a bit of a chill to know that I was now going to be the one who got pranks pulled on me. I giggled.

My old Professor stopped again, turning to face me. She didn't look much like her strict old self; instead she looked rather…guilty. This made me worry.

"Miss Alice? There is something that I- something that _Dumbledore_, rather- forgot to mention.

"You will not be teaching alone. You will be an assistant and co- teacher to another Professor."

I frowned.

"I already know that, Professor. Dumbledore told me…"

"Let me finish." She sighed, and straightened her glasses. "He hasn't told you who the other teacher will be."

As I was wondering who it could possibly be to make Professor McGonagall twitch like that, someone walked out of the office.

He had a towel draped around his broad shoulders, which were noticeably bare. His plain muggle jeans were neat, if slightly frayed. He wore no shoes.

"Oh!" He said, looking surprised. "Professor! I didn't realize...I'm sorry. I wish I'd…" He trailed off as his eyes met mine. His eyes widened.

"What?" He gasped. "What…how is this…:

"Professor Lupin, I'd like you to meet your teaching assistant, Professor Alice Carroll." She grimaced uncomfortably. "I believe you two have…met?"

Met? I nearly laughed. Yes, we'd met, if dating for six years and being engaged for two qualified as having 'met'. I stared at him.

God, he looked good. Maybe I…No! No. Never again.

Remus was staring too, but instead of glancing approvingly at my curves, he looked horrified. Ah well. Not as fit as I was at twenty- one, then.

"Alice?" He whispered.

"Hello, Remus." Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Well, that's me done. I'll leave you to catch up, then." As she passed, she gave me a comforting pat on the back. As if it would help, but I was grateful for it anyway.

I bit my lip and looked down at my shoes. They were my sensible heels, the ones I wear to business meetings. Hmm. Did I have any 'meeting my ex' lover' heels? Maybe the yellow pumps…

"Um…well- I'm…hi," Remus finished lamely. I smiled slightly.

"Hi."

There was an uncomfortable silence. After a moment, Remus stepped aside.

"Um, here's the- um, office. I guess we'll be…sharing it, then. Um."

I went to step inside the open door. As I passed Remus, I could smell him, that familiar scent of wood and chocolate, something spicy and the lilac shampoo he'd used to wash his hair. All that, combined with our closeness and his damp, bare chest, nearly put me out of my mind. He leaned closer to me. I was trapped between him and the doorframe and I didn't mind a bit, oh, kiss me, kiss me…

His mouth was nearly level with mine and I leaned up, waiting…

"You don't have any eyebrows," he said, sounding surprised. I blinked, then shoved my way into the office.

"Yes," I replied, "but you don't have a shirt. That makes us even, damn it!" Suddenly angry, I forgot to watch where I was going and tripped headlong over a coffee table. Shoot.

I heard footsteps and looked up. Remus was standing over me, seemingly upside down because of my position.

"Alice?"

"Hello again," I said, spitting out a hunk of carpet.

A/N: That's it! Review 'cause it's my birthday.


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